Flexible fastening system for shoe tongue footwear

ABSTRACT

A customizable, multi-unit elongated element. A changeable tongue for shoes, to allow for customization at the users discretion. The hook and loop elongated element may consist of two features, a woven Jacquard fabric customizable portion which may be manipulated with different colors, textures, logo/designs, etc. and a base portion that is attached directly to the original elongated element of a given shoe. The hook and loop elongated element is a solution for the desired customization of shoes.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/331,143 filed on May 3, 2016,which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to interchangeable material andmore specifically to footwear wherein the tongue of a shoe is achangeable. The invention enables a component of a consumer product suchas a shoe to be changed by the wearer, therefore, creating the abilityto customize the color, texture, logo/design or any other aestheticquality of the tongue whenever the user desired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the fashion industry forever evolving, what may be the “In” todaymay be “Out” tomorrow. In an attempt to keep up with the latest fashiontrends while adding one's own touch of style to everyday apparel, aconsumer may end up spending more than what is desired in order tomaintain a fashionable, up-to-date wardrobe. A market need exists forapparel articles that are easily customizable. This need is not limitedto strictly clothing items, as the need for innovation encompassesvarious areas of fashion including accessories and even footwear.Footwear is often considered one of the finishing touches to an outfit.Coordination between the style of footwear and the rest of the outfit isideal in order to create a complete look. Today, when a consumer desiresspecific footwear but lacks the variety in their shoe collection, theyultimately fail to select a pair of shoes that compliments the stylisticgoals of their entire outfit. The consumer is then forced to purchase anew pair of shoes to compliment the outfit. This can result in asignificant cost to the end user. Additionally, it is impractical for aconsumer to purchase a new apparel article, such as a pair of shoes,every time the consumer wants to coordinate an entire ensemble. In thiscase, what is needed is a customizable feature on an article like a shoethat may be altered at the user's discretion. The need forcustomizability can also be seen in the sporting industry. Sports teamsare consistently changing uniforms and the color patterns on theirequipment. In addition to providing another level of customizability,the present invention may also provide additional functionality such as,but not limited to support and protection from outdoor elements. Thepresent invention provides for a cost effective way to add another levelcustomization to footwear and other articles of commerce.

Additionally, the present invention provides for a means for variouscompanies to utilize a component of a consumer article such as a shoetongue, for various purposes including but not limited to marketing,promotional purposes, pricing, sizing, and enhancing comfort. This isbeneficial to a retailer as it may decrease in the amount and cost ofpackaging and may be used as an extra marketing tool.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new type ofchangeable personalization element that may be attached to a consumerarticle such as, but not limited to, an elongated portion of a shoecreating a customized look.

A specific embodiment of the present invention provides for a topportion may be made with a woven Jacquard fabric, using “hook & loop”parts. Overall, the idea enables the elongated elements to be changed bythe wearer. A wearer may customize an article such as a shoe by changingthe specifications of the elongated element. Some of the specificationsof the element that may be changed are the color, texture, logo/design(team name for example) etc., all at the user's discretion.

In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, theelongated element may host various forms of embellishments on either ofits sides. In addition to this, the material(s) that may be used toconstruct the element is not limited to the woven jacquard fabric. Theelongated element may be constructed of several types of material andeven contain multiple types in one embodiment, all at a user'sdiscretion. The irregular shapes illustrated in the figures aredependent upon the shape of the article, accessory, and or user'spurpose. The elongated element may be adhered or affixed to an articlein various ways, thus providing a user with ultimate control of how tofasten the element to a given article.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription. It is to be understood, however, that the detaileddescription of the various embodiments and specific examples, whileindicating preferred and other embodiments of the present invention, aregiven by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes andmodifications within the scope of the present invention may be madewithout departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includesall such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

By referring to the following more detailed description of the presentlypreferred exemplary embodiments, the objects and advantages of thisinvention will be more completely understood and appreciated with theaccompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of the personalization element inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the front of the customizable portionof the personalization element.

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the back of the customizable portion,of personalization element.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the front of the base portion ofpersonalization element.

FIG. 5 illustrates a top view of the back of the base portion, of thepersonalization element.

FIG. 6 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention without abase portion.

FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the front of one embodiment of thepresent invention where a base portion may not be required and thepersonalization element may have multiple sections.

FIG. 8 illustrates a top view of the back of one embodiment of thepresent invention where a base portion may not be required and thepersonalization element may have multiple sections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention and methods disclosed in this document are described indetail by way of examples and with reference to the figures. Unlessotherwise specified, like numbers in the figures indicate references tothe same, similar, or corresponding elements throughout the figures. Itwill be appreciated that modifications to disclosed and describedexamples, arrangements, configurations, components, elements,apparatuses, methods, materials, etc. can be made and may be desired fora specific application. In this disclosure, any identification ofspecific shapes, materials, techniques, arrangements, etc. are eitherrelated to a specific example presented or are merely a generaldescription of such a shape, material, technique, arrangement, etc.Identifications of specific details or examples are not intended to be,and should not be, construed as mandatory or limiting unlessspecifically designated as such. Selected examples of apparatuses andmethods are hereinafter disclosed and described in detail with referencemade to FIGURES.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 1 of the present invention, whichillustrates an embodiment of a personalization element 100 of thepresent invention. The personalization element 100 includes acustomizable portion 11 that has a front face 200 and a back face 300.The personalization element in FIG. 1 also includes a base portion 20 towhich the customizable portion 11 is attached. The base portion 20 mayserve as the foundation for adherence of the entire customizable portion11 of the personalization element 100 onto a consumer article such as ashoe.

The present invention contemplates that the present invention is notlimited to any sort of shapes and contemplates a wide variety ofdifferent geometric shapes for instance, the shape illustrated in thedrawings in the present invention, circular, oval, square, rectangular,etc. At a user's discretion one may prefer one form shaping overanother. In one embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated inFIG. 4, there may be a fastening mechanism 401 that covers the front ofthe base portion 400. The fastening mechanism 401 may be, but is notlimited to the loop structure of a hook and loop mechanism. Thefastening mechanism 401 may be attached to the base portion 400 by avariety of means such as but not limited to sewing, adhesive connection,mechanical fasteners (e.g. snaps, buckles), temporary bond and the like.The base portion 400 may be shaped by any means known in the art such aslaser cutting, manual scissoring, and other methods for obtainingspecific geometric, alpha, or random shape. Also, in another embodimentthe front of the base portion and the fastening mechanism 401 may be onein the same. The fastening mechanism 401 may also be shaped by any meansknown in the art such as laser cutting, manual scissoring, and othermethods for obtaining specific geometric, alpha, or random shape.

Attention is directed to FIG. 2, which illustrates the customizableportion 200 in which the customizable portion 200 has both a front 203and back side 301 (illustrated in FIG. 3) of an irregular shape. Thefront 203 of the customizable portion 200 may be composed of acustomizable material 202. In one embodiment of the present invention,the customizable material 202 is a Woven Jacquard Fabric. The presentinvention contemplates that the customizable material may be a widevariety of materials and is not limited to any specific type of fabric.For instance, the customizable material may be made of various types ofyarns, e.g. natural and synthetic yarns, Cotton, Nylon, Metallicthreads, Recycled PET, etc. or a combination thereof. Also, othernon-woven materials such as PU, Silicone, TPU, or a combination thereofmight also be used in combination with the woven fabric or separately ontheir own. Leather and leather likes such as suede, and also variousanimal skin materials or a combination thereof may be used. Preferably,the materials would be subject to passing standard foot wear testingsuch as Abrasion, Colorfastness, Pull Strength, Flexometer, Auto-Claveas required by the foot wear manufacturer. Size of the present inventioncould range from Children's through Adult's shoe tongue sizes.

This customizable material 202 may be laser cut or cold die cut to fitthe irregular shape of the customizable portion 10. The front of thecustomizable portion 200 may also include and has the ability to hostcustomizable embellishments 202, to provide the wearer with the optionto customize the front of the customizable portion 200 with differentcompany logos or designs of various textures and colors. In oneembodiment of the personalization element 100, the front 203 of thecustomizable portion 200 may be composed of one or more differentmaterials. For example, for an increased level of resistance to water,the customizable material 202, may be a more rubbery or plasticmaterial. However, in another embodiment, for aesthetics or any otherpurpose, the customizable material 202, on the front of the customizableportion 200, may consist of half rubber and half woven Jacquard fabric.This allows for the personalization element 100 to become customizableeven from a functionality perspective. In a similar manner, thecustomizable material 202 may be made of one or more colors. The colorsmay be arranged according to any pattern designed by the user. Thematerial combinations disclosed within this description are not to limitthe invention but rather to serve as examples. For instance, the presentinvention contemplates that in one embodiment, the material 202 is awoven jacquard fabric with a TPU wear resistant coating. The presentinvention also contemplates that the material 202 and a combination ofhalf Jacquard and half suede materials combined together.

Attention is redirected to FIG. 2 which displays an example of acustomizable embellishment 201 that may be on the customizable material202, located on the front of the customizable portion 200. Thecustomizable embellishments 201 may be of any geometric, alpha, numeric,or random shape. In the same manner as the customizable material 202 ofthe customizable portion 200, the customizable embellishments 201 mayconsist of one or more different materials. Though FIG. 2 displays onlyone customizable embellishment 201 on the front of the customizablematerial 202, the customizable material 202 on the front of thecustomizable portion 200 may host one or more customizableembellishments 201 and is not limited to any particular number ofembellishments. Customizable embellishments 201, may be adhered to thecustomizable material 202, or the front of the customizable portion 200through many different processes known in the art, for example, but notlimited to, heat transfer, sewing, weaving, and gluing, each methodhaving unique properties that may be utilized depending on a user'sneed.

In another embodiment of the personalization element 100, there may beshoe lace holes on the front of the customizable portion 200 should thepersonalization element be a component of a shoe article. The shoe laceholes of this embodiment serve as a means to stop shoe tongue slippage,as well as a means to secure the shoe lace in the desired pattern. Theshoe lace holes may be incorporated as part of the design aesthetics ofthe customizable portion 200 of the personalization element 100. In thesame manner as the customizable material 202 and customizableembellishment 201, the shoe lace holes may consist of one or moredifferent materials or colors.

In yet another embodiment, the personalization element 100 is a shoetongue consisting of multiple layers. In this particular embodiment thepersonalization element 100 may completely replace the original shoetongue of the article, in this case, the article being a shoe. Thepersonalization element 100 may be permanently fastened to the shoe, ortemporarily fastened to the shoe. Both the customizable top portion 200and the base portion 400 (illustrated in FIG. 4) may consist ofadditional layers other than the previously mentioned. The additionallayers serve as a means to manipulate the characteristics of thecustomizable portion 200, as well as the base portion. For example, auser may request additional layers beneath the customizable portion 200,thereby creating an additional barrier(s) between the climate/weatherand the article. If the article was a shoe tongue for example, theadditional layers would protect the foot and base portion from inclementweather. In respect to the base portion 400, illustrated in FIG. 4, auser may request additional layers in order to provide more padding forfoot comfort upon impact, especially in the case of an athletic shoe.The disclosed examples provided above are not to limit the use ofadditional layers within the elongated element, but rather to expand onthe capabilities of this particular embodiment of the invention.

Attention is redirected to FIG. 3 of the present invention whichdisplays the back side 300 of the customizable portion 200 having anarea and a perimeter. The back 300 of the customizable portion 200 maybe composed of a fastening mechanism 301 in one embodiment. In oneembodiment, the fastening mechanism 301 covers the entire area of theback side 300 of the customizable portion 200. The present inventionalso contemplates that the fastening mechanism 301 may occupy only aportion of the area of the back side 300 of the customizable portion 200or the fastening mechanism surround the entire or portion of theperimeter of the back side 300 of the customizable portion 200. Thefastening mechanism 301 may be shaped to fit irregular shape of the backof the customizable portion 300 shown in FIG. 3. It is to be noted thatthe fastening mechanism is not limited to just the irregular shapepresented in FIGS. 1-5. In one embodiment of the personalization element100, the fastening mechanism 301, may be a hook and loop mechanism.Within this embodiment, pressure may be required for complete fasteningof the customizable portion 10, to the base portion 20 illustrated inFIG. 1. In another embodiment, the fastening mechanism 301 may be a typeof adhesive such as a pressure sensitive adhesive. The adhesive may beremovable or permanent based on a user's need.

Attention is directed to FIG. 4 which illustrates the front 402 of thebase portion 400, having both an area and a perimeter. The fasteningmechanism 401 of the base portion may be found on the front side of the402 of the base portion 400 instead of or in addition to the back side300 of the customizable portion 200 if the fastening mechanism utilizedon the back side 300 of the customizable portion 200 is a hook and looptype fastening mechanism. The fastening mechanism 401, if on the baseportion 400, may cover the entire area of the front 402 of the baseportion 400. This aids to fit the shape of the customizable element 10if the customizable element 10 is an elongated element such as a shoetongue. However, the present invention also contemplates that thefastening mechanism 401 may only occupy a portion of the area of thefront side 402 of the base portion 400 or may occupy the entire or aportion of the perimeter of the front side 402 of the base portion 400 .The fastening mechanism 401 of the base portion 401 may be shaped to fitthe irregular shape of the front 402 of the back portion 400. It is tobe noted that the shape of the base portion 400 is not limited to theirregular shape presented in the figures presented. Additionally thebase portion 400 may be shaped by any means known in the art such aslaser cutting, manual scissoring, and other methods for obtainingspecific geometric, alpha, or random shape.

FIG. 5 illustrates the back side 500 of the base portion 400. The backside 500 of the base portion 400 includes a base surface 501 that may befastened to a consumer article or accessory. Methods of attachment ofthe back of the base surface 501, to an article or accessory mayinclude, but are not limited to, sewing, gluing or adhering with anadhesive. While the back side 500 of the base surface 501 may beattached to an article or accessory, the underlying properties of thearticle or accessory may not change. Where the original article oraccessory provided certain comforts or molds, the same properties remainprevalent. It is thereby suggested that one may add the base surface 501located on the back side 500 of the base portion 400 to an article oraccessory while maintaining the functional integrity of the originalarticle or accessory. Besides the initial adherence of the base surface501 to the original article or accessory, no other manipulation of theoriginal shoe is required for the use of the personalization element100. However in another embodiment, the base portion 400 may containmaterial properties that may manipulate the functionality of theunderlying article or accessory.

The fastening mechanism 301 of the customizable portion 200 and the baseportion 400 fastening mechanism 401 may be shaped identically to alignperfectly when placed on top of one another. When the fasteningmechanism 301 is placed on the base portion 400 fastening mechanism 401,the assembly of the personalization element 100 becomes complete.However, it is also contemplated that the fastening mechanism 301 andthe fastening mechanism 401 do not align and may be positioned unevenlyto one another. The personalization element 100 may be dis-assembled atthe discretion of the wearer. Various customizable portions 11 may besubstituted by the dis-assembly of the fastening mechanism 301 and baseportion 401.

In yet another embodiment of the personalization element 100 there maybe RFID compatibility. The personalization element 100 may host RFIDtechnology on the customizable portion 10, and the base portion 20. Inone embodiment, the customizable embellishment 201 illustrated in FIG. 2may be an RFID device. The RFID technology may be used to obtain datasuch as, but not limited to heart rate, steps, and mileage. Thisembodiment of the personalization element 100 would serve exceptionallywell within running shoes or any athletic shoe.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 6. Where the present invention alsocontemplates an embodiment in which the personalization element 600 doesnot require a base portion 20 before it is attached to an article. Thisembodiment presents a personalization element 600 that may be directlyfastened to an article by a user. The customizable portion 602 has botha front 601 and back 604 side. Both the customizable portion 602 and theback surface 604 may host embellishments 603 just as stated in theprevious embodiments. The fastening method by which the personalizationelement 600 is attached to an article may vary. One may fasten thepersonalization element 600 to an article through methods such as, butnot limited to, gluing, sewing, or heat transfer. The personalizationelement may be removable or permanently adhered to an article at auser's discretion. This embodiment also encompasses the potential tocoincide with the previously stated embodiments.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 7. In yet another embodiment, thepersonalization element 700 may not require a base portion 20. Thepersonalization element 700 has both a front 701 and back 800 sides, seeFIG. 8 for diagram of the back side. Both the customizable portion 702of the front face 701 and the back surface 801 of the back side 800 mayhost embellishments 705 just as stated in the previous embodiments. Thecustomizable portion 702 of the front face 701 may have a first 703 anda second 704 section; whereby the first section 703 may be permanentlyor temporarily adhered to the article and the second section 704 may betemporarily adhered to the first section 703 by various means offastening, such as, but not limited to, gluing, sticking, or stitching.The disclosed examples provided above are not to limit the number ofsections prevalent on the personalization element, but rather to expandon the capabilities of this particular embodiment of the invention. Thisembodiment of the current invention may have multiple sections. Thisembodiment also encompasses the potential to coincide with thepreviously stated embodiments.

It will thus be seen according to the present invention highlyadvantageous method of article or accessory customization. While theinvention has been described in connection with what is presentlyconsidered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it will beapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention is notto be limited to the disclosed embodiment, and that many modificationsand equivalent arrangements may be made thereof within the scope of theinvention, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation ofthe appended claims so as to encompass all equivalent structures andproducts.

The inventors hereby state their intent to rely on the Doctrine ofEquivalents to determine and assess the reasonably fair scope of theirinvention as it pertains to any apparatus, system, method or article notmaterially departing from but outside the literal scope of the inventionas set out in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A personalization element for an articlecomprising: a base portion with a front and a back face such that theback side is attachable to the article; a customizable portion having afront and back side wherein the back face of the customizable portion isattached to the front face of the base portion; and a fasteningmechanism disposed between the front side of the base portion and theback side of the customizable portion to secure the customizable portionto the base portion.
 2. The element of claim 1, wherein the front faceof geometric, alpha, numeric or random shape created by a user.
 3. Theelement of claim 1, wherein the front of the customizable portion iscomposed of a material, of any geometric, alpha, numeric or random shapecreated by a user.
 4. The element of claim 1, wherein the front of thecustomizable portion is composed of a customizable woven Jacquardfabric.
 5. The element of claim 1, wherein the front of the customizableportion may have one or more external embellishments for additionalpersonalization.
 6. The element of claim 1, where the back of thecustomizable portion contains a fastening mechanism such as, but notlimited to hooks as part of a hook and loop mechanism for fastening thecustomizable portion to the base portion.
 7. The element of claim 1,where the base portion may be of any geometric, alpha, numeric or randomshape created by a user.
 8. The element of claim 1, where the front ofthe base portion may contain a fastening mechanism such as, but notlimited to loops as part of a hook and loop mechanism for fastening tothe back of the customizable portion.
 9. A method for constructing apersonalization element having a base portion and a customizableportion, both having front and back faces, for a shoe comprising thesteps of; placing the back face of the base portion unto a shoe tongue,so that the back face of the base portion is in contact with the shoetongue; adhering the back face of a base portion to the shoe tongue bystitching, gluing, or other fastening means; affixing the back face ofthe customizable portion unto the front of the base portion, so that theback of the customizable portion rests on the front of the base portion.10. The method as in claim 9, further comprising of the application ofample pressure to the top of the customizable portion for durableadhesion to the base portion, if desired.
 11. The method of claim 9wherein, in one embodiment the assembly of the personalization elementis complete upon adherence of the base portion to the shoe tongue. 12.The method as in claim 9, wherein the mechanism for adhesion of the baseportion to the shoe tongue may not be permanent.
 13. The element ofclaim 9, whereby the affixing between the customizable portion and thebase portion is separated upon a user's discretion.
 14. The element ofclaim 1, wherein the article is an apparel item or accessory.
 15. Acustomizable element for an article comprising: a base portion having afront and back face; the front face having a perimeter and a first andsecond section, and the back face having a perimeter and a first andsecond section wherein the perimeter of the front face and the back faceare different from one another; and wherein a first section of the frontface is permanently adhered to a first section of the base portion; andthe second section of the front face is customizable that is removableadhered to the second section of the back face of the base portion. 16.The element of claim 15, wherein the article may be a shoe, whereby thecustomizable element may serve as a shoe tongue.
 17. The element ofclaim 15, wherein the customizable, removable portion has a perimeterdifferent from the front face and the base portion.
 18. The element ofclaim 15, wherein the customizable, removable portion may host multiplecustomizable embellishments i.e. team crests, symbols, badges, logos,text, etc.
 19. The element of claim 15, wherein the article may be ashoe tongue, whereby the customizable element serves as an attachment tothe shoe tongue.
 20. The element of claim 15, wherein the customizableportion may be made of a different material than the front and backportion.